In the summer of 2023, I was part of a small crew of artists invited to participate in the Life of Island Creative Residency, ran by Sail Britain. 9 of us in total: 6 artists, our Skipper Oliver Beardon, First Mate Tom and our residency leader Laura Copsey, embarked on a week long voyage through the West Coast of Scotland. Our aim was to explore the concept of islandness and interconnectivity, using our beautiful sailboat Merlin as a means of travel. We visited several of the Small Isles, learning the basics of sailing along the way, and collecting inspiration and ideas for each of our creative practises.